How Far I’ve Come in the Practical Nursing Program

Well we are definitely more than halfway with a few weeks of term 4 under our belt, & I guess you could say I’m, tired? All jokes aside, I feel pretty proud of how far I’ve come. Even though this is term 4 & the material is getting harder and harder, in a way it’s getting easier. I know exactly what to expect from the courses, & I’ve developed study habits that work for me. I can’t believe it’s term 4 already though, it feels like we were just getting tested on how to put on sterile gloves!

Personally, I felt the most challenging part of the program was the final 3 weeks of Term 2. Our schedule was insane, with at least 2 finals in each week. It was a huge lesson in time management. It honestly wouldn’t have been that bad if I had studied for things in way advance (& by advance I mean the beginning of the semester.) You would think 3 weeks is enough time to study for medication administration testing, but let me tell you, it most definitely is not. Term 2 was just a blur.

There have been quite a few rewarding parts of the program, but I think for me, it will always be my first patient. In residential care, I got to see him every day. I was very appreciative of the patience he had with me, it being first term practicum and all, but he always reassured me that I was doing a fine job. When it was my last day, I was sad to say goodbye & he told me, “You’re going to make a lot of people very happy in your career. These were the best 3 weeks I’ve had in a long time. I’m really going to miss you.”

Its awful to say, but I had no idea there were so many nurses in the industry that are not giving the full competent care that they should be. I can speak for all the students in my cohort that we have all come across at least 1 nurse on clinical, in which we felt they were not giving adequate care. Whether it be leaving a patient in a soiled pad, forgetting to chart on a night shift, or not adhering to the ADLs because calling someone in for a 2 person assist took too much time, this has really surprised me & has made me want to become that much better of a nurse.

I can’t pick just one memorable moment. The PN1014 cohort is amazing. We have such a great group of students, we all get along, have each other’s backs, and really push each other every day to become better. We’ve become very close over the past year. All of our moments are memorable.

The biggest change in myself that I’ve noticed over the past year is how more of a positive person I’ve become. I’m not sure when that happened, or what changed my mindset, but I’ve noticed I look at things in a different way. Nursing is a very humbling profession. It makes you look at what is really important.

My goals for the rest of the program? – To not drop the ball. We’ve come this far, it would be a shame to let all that hard work go to waste. A personal goal for me is to not have to use any of my rewrites, and to not forget to write on the forum every day!

The advice I would give to incoming nursing students is, it’s really not as bad as you think. If you show up to class, complete all your homework, and study adequately for exams, you have a very fair shot in doing quite well. My advice would be to time manage your schoolwork, but also make time for a personal life, and hobbies. As much as it is important to get good grades, it’s also important to maintain sanity, health, and friendships. This program can become very overwhelming, especially in term 2, and it’s important to know what helps you de-stress.

In the very beginning I was very concerned with my grades and my average, and about failing classes. But little did I know that the most knowledge was gained when you go to apply what you know. It’s all about what you can do in real life, not about what you can do on paper.